How to Check Activation Lock Before Buying a Second Hand iPhone?

If you are planning to buy an iPhone but have a small budget in your tight pocket, then you may consider buying a second hand iPhone instead of a new one. Though second-hand iPhone can save you a lot, buying a used phone can be tricky if you don’t have experience whatsoever about this industry. So, it is necessary to look into many things before buying a second-hand iPhone.

Apart from the phone condition and warranty, the most important thing to consider is that used mobile phone should not be blacklisted. If the iPhone is reported stolen or is on the blacklist, you won’t be able to activate it. Unfortunately, it is a bitter truth that people try to make money by selling lost or stolen iPhone devices. They put such products in used or refurbished iPhone categories and sell them at good prices. But when the buyers open them for using it, they find them locked; these types of iPhones can’t be activated.

Now the question is that how you can check if the used iPhone is blacklisted or not. The answer is very simple; every iPhone has a great feature named“Activation Lock”that has “FIND MY IPHONE” option that prevents anyone from activating an iPhone without having access to the real owner’s Apple ID or password if it is ever lost or stolen. Activation Lock is automatically enabled when the Find My iPhone is turned on an iPhone. That means, by checking the Activation Lock, you can ensure that the iPhone is not blacklisted.

In the following article, I am going to show you how to check Activation Lock before buying a second-hand iPhone.

Check For Activation Lock Before You Purchase a Second Hand iPhone

Before you buy a used or reconditioned iPhone or iPad from someone or an authorised dealer/reseller, ensure that the device is removed and no longer connected to the previous owner’s Apple account. Ask the dealer or seller whether or not they’ve switched off Activation Lock, then follow these below-mentioned steps:

Turn on the iPhone device and slide to unlock

Turn on the device.If there is a passcode appeared on the lock screen or the Home screen of the iPhone device,this means that it has not been removed. Ask the seller/dealer to enter the passcode then proceed to the next step.

Reset the Device

Completely rest the iPhone device. For doing so, Open Settings App > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. If the phone is blacklisted, then you need to enter Apple’s ID to confirm the reset.

Begin the device setup

If you are asked for the Apple ID and password, it means the device is still connected to the previous owner’s account. So, you should ask the seller to enter the ID and password. If they don’t, it means they are not reliable and the device is blacklisted. If they tell you the details, it means they are the owner of the device. Well, don’t take the ownership of any second-hand iPhone until you are rest assured that it is not blacklisted.

Once you enter the correct Apple ID and password, you are asked to “Set Up your iPhone” and when you go with this option, you will find that the device is ready to use.

A Useful Tip For Buying a Second Hand iPhone: Try to find an unlocked second-hand iPhone. If the iPhone is locked that means you are restricted to use the network services of a particular carrier. On the other hand, if the iPhone is unlocked, you are free for using any preferred carrier’s services anywhere in the world. To check whether the used iPhone is locked or unlocked, you can ask the IMEI number of the device from the dealer/reseller and check if it is locked or not. If you find it locked then you can request the seller for unlocking it.